2012 NFL Draft Picks By Team: Rams

Brockers just completed his sophomore year at LSU, but he can (and did) leave early because he redshirted prior to his first year in Baton Rouge. The defensive tackle played sparingly in 2010, making an appearance in 13 games with one start. Brockers stepped into a major role in 2011 and helped lead the Tigers to the SEC Championship (he was one of the defensive stars in the blowout of Georgia) and a berth in the BCS National Championship. He started all 14 games, made 54 tackles, and finished third on the team with 10 tackles for loss. Brockers also recorded two sacks, four quarterback hurries, an interception, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick.
The Houston, TX native has great size at 6'6'' and 306 pounds. He generally runs in the 4.9s of the 40-yard dash and he has been clocked as fast as 4.86 from that distance. Brockers is extremely agile for his size, and his side-to-side movement makes him a real force as a run defender. His pass-rushing skills can be improved by working on his first step off the ball and by adding some more bulk to his frame (and he definitely has room to do so). Brockers does not have a ton of experience, so he will likely be used as a situational def... [Read More]

Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick is one of the top FCS prospects available in the 2012 NFL Draft. This former basketball player carries over a lot of skills over from the court onto the field. Quick is an appropriate name because he displays a nice burst in tight spaces and also has enough speed to stretch the field.
Quick is a crisp route runner with good body control. He can shield off defenders, square up and catch the ball away from his body. With his height and frame, he's going to create a lot of mismatches.
Quick is similar to San Diego's Vincent Jackson as a player who may not fly past anyone with his speed, but is an elite talent who can use his body position and long arms to get up for jump balls.
He's quite the athlete and has enough overall skill to be a dominant possession receiver and red zone target. Quick isn't a natural No. 1 receiver, but he will make a nice compliment to a team that needs a target to work the field 10 to 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Since he is raw, he may not have an instant impact. Given the right amount of patience, Quick could be a long-time starter in the NFL.... [Read More]

The main headline for Janoris Jenkins heading into the 2012 NFL Draft will always deal with his character flaws. He was kicked off the Florida Gators in 2010 due to being arrested twice in a three-month span on drug-related offenses. The year before, he got in a fight and was arrested then as well.
NFL teams will have quite the decision on their hands because (excluding his aforementioned run-ins with the law) he is a very good football player and has few holes in his game. He is a quick reaction player with elite quickness and above average speed. Jenkins really excels as a cover corner. He shows great body control, fluid motions and decisive movements to make plays on the ball. He is very aggressive when the ball is in the air, to the point that he will sometimes get beat for big plays.
Jenkins does a great job at masking his physical limitations at only 5'10" and 183 pounds. He won't be able to utilize press coverage, but is quick enough to break quickly on the ball and bat it down or take a short drop and run with receivers on short/intermediate routes.
He could slip because of his troubles while at Florida, but Jenkins is a first-round talent.... [Read More]

Isaiah Pead is a highly-competitive, shifty running back with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Although he only has average size and bulk, he has good speed and flashes an elusive running style. Pead is averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 114 carries for 703 yards and eight TDs through seven games. He's also added 15 receptions for 106 yards and two TDs.
Pead's best attributes are his versatility as both a runner and pass-catcher, in addition to his quickness. He can make the first man miss and quickly accelerate to daylight. Pead really shows multiple gears when taking off through open spaces. Although, a below average offensive line has made him exhibit choppy footwork when hitting the hole, and he needs to flow into running lanes more decisively.
Cincinnati uses him in the slot and out of the backfield to catch passes on occasion. He shows good hands and has no problems getting upfield fast.
Once in the NFL, he'll need to learn to drive his body with his hips and thighs. By bulking up his lower half, he'll be able to run through more arm tackles. His vision could be better, but that can be hindered by struggling blockers.... [Read More]

Trumaine Johnson is a tall range cornerback prospect who should rise up draft boards with good speed and height. Although he is a bit lean for his size, there is plenty of room on his frame for bulk. Has the potential to be a great corner who can press and jam at the line, while also having the speed to keep up with faster receivers.
He's still a bit inexperienced at some of the more difficult techniques and was largely used in off-man sets or sat in Cover 2 zones using the sideline as an extra defender. Johnson is very fluid in his lower half, which is going to please a lot of GMs and scouts. He has nice hips and keeps his steps compact. Doesn't waste much motion and can transition smoothly out of his back-pedal.
Johnson is a patient tackler, but has a nice closing burst to wrap and explode through the ball-carrier. He can be juked by shiftier backs though. With his size, speed and skill-set, he has the potential to surprise and go earlier in the draft than many analysts will anticipate. Johnson can fit in a number of packages due to his height and range. There is a chance he may transition to free safety at some point in his career.... [Read More]

Givens is not going to finish it off with a senior season, but what a career he had at Wake Forest. The wide receiver was a huge producer right from the start. He had 45 catches for 629 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman, hauled in 35 passes for 514 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore, and broke out to an even greater extent with 83 receptions for 1330 yards and nine scores as a junior. In each of his three seasons he averaged at least 14 yards per catch. Givens earned First Team All-ACC honors for his 2011 campaign and decided to take his talents to the next level.
The Wylie, TX native has decent size at 6'0'' and 195 pounds. He is going to making his living, though, with his speed. Givens generally runs in the low-4.5s of the 40-yard dash and he has been clocked as fast as 4.42 from that distance. Those numbers don't really do him justice, either, because he is incredibly shifty and can make defenders miss on a consistent basis in the open field. Givens is also an outstanding route-runner. The good news for him and other receivers like him is that the NFL is falling in love with slot wideouts like Wes Welker who can catch short passes and turn them into huge gains. ... [Read More]

Watkins played two seasons at Georgia Military College before transferring to South Carolina. The offensive guard helped lead his JUCO team to an average of more than 180 rushing yards per game during his sophomore campaign. Watkins started all 14 games for the Gamecocks in 2010, moving back and forth between left guard and right guard. South Carolina won the SEC East Division before losing to eventual National Champion Auburn in the SEC Championship. Watkins also started every game as a senior, playing both right guard and right tackle. Star running back Marcus Lattimore averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns before going down with a season-ending injury after seven games.
Watkins has great size at 6'4'' and 340 pounds. The Fairburn, GA native generally runs in the 5.3s of the 40-yard dash and he has been clocked as fast as 5.20 from that distance. Although he does have some experience at tackle, Watkins probably is not quick enough to play there at the next level--certainly not at left tackle. He does, though, have good power off the ball and he takes up a ton of space on the line. He is a solid run-blocker who should be able to contribute in the NFL at the guar... [Read More]